Who were the villains in the Easter story?
Judas the betrayer
Peter the denier
The chief priests and other leaders who conspired against Jesus and riled up the crowd
The soldiers who mocked, spit upon, flogged, and dehumanized Jesus
The crowd – many of those who were crying “Crucify him” on Friday had been singing “Hosana!” on Sunday
We share a dramatized version of Luke 23:1-25, which highlights one of the characters who ought to be included in a list of villains: the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.
Pontius Pilate’s brief appearance in Scripture is full of tragedy. He ignored his conscience, he disregarded the good advice of his wife, he chose political expediency over public rectitude, and he failed to recognize the truth even when Truth was standing right in front of him. When given an opportunity to evaluate the claims of Jesus, what will we decide? Will we accept His claim to be the King, or will we follow the voice of the crowd?
Other scriptures referenced include Matthew 27:19-21, 37, 64-66; John 18:38; John 14:6; Mark 15:15; and John 19:38.
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